428 research outputs found
Butterfly diagram of a Sun-like star observed using asteroseismology
Stellar magnetic fields are poorly understood but are known to be important
for stellar evolution and exoplanet habitability. They drive stellar activity,
which is the main observational constraint on theoretical models for magnetic
field generation and evolution. Starspots are the main manifestation of the
magnetic fields at the stellar surface. In this study we measure the variation
of their latitude with time, called a butterfly diagram in the solar case, for
the solar analogue HD 173701 (KIC 8006161). To that effect, we use Kepler data,
to combine starspot rotation rates at different epochs and the
asteroseismically determined latitudinal variation of the stellar rotation
rates. We observe a clear variation of the latitude of the starspots. It is the
first time such a diagram is constructed using asteroseismic data.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted in A&A Letter
Asteroseismic detection of latitudinal differential rotation in 13 Sun-like stars
The differentially rotating outer layers of stars are thought to play a role
in driving their magnetic activity, but the underlying mechanisms that generate
and sustain differential rotation are poorly understood. We report the
measurement of latitudinal differential rotation in the convection zones of 40
Sun-like stars using asteroseismology. For the most significant detections, the
stars' equators rotate approximately twice as fast as their mid-latitudes. The
latitudinal shear inferred from asteroseismology is much larger than
predictions from numerical simulations.Comment: 45 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables, published in Scienc
Sounding stellar cycles with Kepler - II. Ground-based observations
We have monitored 20 Sun-like stars in the Kepler field-of-view for excess
flux with the FIES spectrograph on the Nordic Optical Telescope since the
launch of Kepler spacecraft in 2009. These 20 stars were selected based on
their asteroseismic properties to sample the parameter space (effective
temperature, surface gravity, activity level etc.) around the Sun. Though the
ultimate goal is to improve stellar dynamo models, we focus the present paper
on the combination of space-based and ground-based observations can be used to
test the age-rotation-activity relations.
In this paper we describe the considerations behind the selection of these 20
Sun-like stars and present an initial asteroseismic analysis, which includes
stellar age estimates. We also describe the observations from the Nordic
Optical Telescope and present mean values of measured excess fluxes. These
measurements are combined with estimates of the rotation periods obtained from
a simple analysis of the modulation in photometric observations from Kepler
caused by starspots, and asteroseismic determinations of stellar ages, to test
relations between between age, rotation and activity.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
Fate of CMY-2-encoding plasmids introduced into the human fecal microbiota by exogenous Escherichia coli
The gut is a hot spot for transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from ingested exogenous bacteria to the indigenous microbiota. The objective of this study was to determine the fate of two nearly identical blaCMY-2-harboring plasmids introduced into the human fecal microbiota by two Escherichia coli strains isolated from human and poultry meat, respectively. The chromosome and the CMY-2-encoding plasmid of both strains were labeled with distinct fluorescent markers (mCherry and GFP), allowing Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS)-based tracking of the strain and the resident bacteria that have acquired its plasmid. Each strain was introduced into an established in vitro gut model (CoMiniGut) inoculated with individual feces from ten healthy volunteers. Fecal samples collected 2, 6 and 24 h after strain inoculation were analyzed by FACS and plate counts. Although the human strain survived better than the poultry meat strain, both strains transferred their plasmids to the fecal microbiota at concentrations as low as 102 CFU/mL. Strain survival and plasmid transfer varied significantly depending on inoculum concentration and individual fecal microbiota. Identification of transconjugants by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry revealed that the plasmids were predominantly acquired by Enterobacteriaceae such as E. coli and Hafnia alvei. Our experimental data demonstrate that exogenous E. coli of human or animal origin can readily transfer CMY-2-encoding IncI1 plasmids to the human fecal microbiota. Low amounts of exogenous strain are sufficient to ensure plasmid transfer if the strain is able to survive the gastric environment
Rapidity and centrality dependence of particle production for identified hadrons in Cu+Cu collisions at GeV
The BRAHMS collaboration has measured transverse momentum spectra of pions,
kaons, protons and antiprotons at rapidities 0 and 3 for Cu+Cu collisions at
GeV. As the collisions become more central the collective
radial flow increases while the temperature of kinetic freeze-out decreases.
The temperature is lower and the radial flow weaker at forward rapidity. Pion
and kaon yields with transverse momenta between 1.5 and 2.5 GeV/c are
suppressed for central collisions relative to scaled collisions. This
suppression, which increases as the collisions become more central is
consistent with jet quenching models and is also present with comparable
magnitude at forward rapidity. At such rapidities initial state effects may
also be present and persistence of the meson suppression to high rapidity may
reflect a combination of jet quenching and nuclear shadowing. The ratio of
protons to mesons increases as the collisions become more central and is
largest at forward rapidities.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures and 6 table
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